GOD CAN ONLY BE LOVED FREELY
"We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him.
But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves:
'He who does not love remains in death.
Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer,
and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.' [1 Jn 3:14-15]
Our Lord warns us that we shall be separated from him
if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor
and the little ones who are his brethren. [Cf Mt 25:31-46]"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church 1033)
A MAN'S FREE AND DELIBERATE CHOICE
"To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love
means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice.
This state of definitive self- exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called 'hell.'"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church 1033)
GOD RATIFIES OUR CHOICE
"Jesus often speaks of 'Gehenna', of 'the unquenchable fire'
reserved for those who to the end of their lives refuse to believe and be converted,
where both soul and body can be lost. [Cf. Mt 5:22, 29; 10:28; 13:42, 50; Mk 9:43-48]
Jesus solemnly proclaims that he 'will send his angels,
and they will gather . . . all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire,' [Mt 13:41-42]
and that he will pronounce the condemnation:
'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire!' [Mt 25:41]"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church 1034)
It is like saying, "You don't want Me. Then you shall not have Me."
A HEART FOREVER UNFULFILLED: ETERNAL FRUSTRATION
"The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity.
Immediately after death
the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell,
where they suffer the punishments of hell, 'eternal fire.'
[Cf. DS 76; 409; 411; 801; 858; 1002; 1351; 1575; Paul VI, CPG # 12]
The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God,
in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created
and for which he longs."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church 1035)
CALL TO RESPONSIBILITY
"The affirmations of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church on the subject of hell
are a call to the responsibility incumbent upon man
to make use of his freedom in view of his eternal destiny.
They are at the same time an urgent call to conversion:
'Enter by the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction,
and those who enter by it are many.
For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life,
and those who find it are few.' [Mt 7:13-14]
Since we know neither the day nor the hour,
we should follow the advice of the Lord and watch constantly
so that, when the single course of our earthly life is completed,
we may merit to enter with him into the marriage feast
and be numbered among the blessed,
and not, like the wicked and slothful servants,
be ordered to depart into the eternal fire,
into the outer darkness where 'men will weep and gnash their teeth.'
[LG 48 # 3; Mt 22:13; cf. Heb 9:27; Mt 25:13, 26, 30, 31 46]"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church 1036)
NOT PREDESTINATION BUT SELF-CONDEMNATION
"God predestines no one to go to hell;
[Cf. Council of Orange II (529): DS 397; Council of Trent (1547):1567]
for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary,
and persistence in it until the end."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church 1037)
"LORD, SAVE ME!"
In the Eucharistic liturgy and in the daily prayers of her faithful,
the Church implores the mercy of God,
who does not want 'any to perish, but all to come to repentance': [2 Pt 3:9]
'Father, accept this offering from your whole family.
Grant us your peace in this life,
save us from final damnation,
and count us among those you have chosen. [Roman Missal, EP I (Roman Canon) 88]"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church 1037)
"Domine, salvum me fac!"(Mt 14:30)
"O Jesus,
forgive us our sins!
Save us from the fires of hell!
And lead all souls to heaven
especially those in most need of your mercy."
PURGATORY: THE FIRE OF LOVE
"All who die in God's grace and friendship,
but still imperfectly purified,
are indeed assured of their eternal salvation;
but after death they undergo purification,
so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church 1030)
ACT OF REPARATION TO THE SACRED HEART
"Most loving Jesus,
how great is the love which you have poured out upon the world.
How casual and careless is our response!
Kneeling before you,
we wish to atone for the indifference
and the slights which pierce you to the heart.
We ask forgiveness for our own shameful neglect.
We wish to make amends for those who are obstinate in their unbelief,
for those who turn away from the light
and wander like sheep without a shepherd;
and for those who have broken their baptismal promises
and reject the gentle yoke of your law....
We wish to make amends for the sins of our society:
for lust and degradation,
for the corruption of the young,
for indifference and blasphemy,
for attacks against your Church,
for irreverence and even sacrilege
against your love in this Blessed Sacrament,
and for the public defiance of your law.
These are the sins for which you died,
but now we share in your atonement
by offering on the altar
in union with you
the living sacrifice you made on the Cross,
joining to it the sufferings of your Virgin Mother,
and those of all the saints and the whole Church.
We promise faithfully that by your grace
we shall make reparation for our own sins
and for those of others
by a strong faith,
by a holy life,
and by obedience to the Law of the Gospel,
whose greatest commandment is that of charity.
We also promise to do our best
to discourage others from insutiing you
and bring those we can to follow you.
Jesus, Lord, receive this loving act of homage
together with the prayers of our Lady,
who stood by the cross,
our Model in reparation.
Keep us faithful,
even to the point of death;
give us the gift of perseverance
and lead all to our promised land in heaven,
where you with the Father and the Holy Spirit
live and reign. Forever and ever. Amen."
(Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart)
DIVINE MERCY
"How much need the world has
to understand and accept Divine Mercy!
Lord, who with your Death and Resurrection
reveal the love of the Father,
we believe in you
and with confidence
repeat to you today:
Jesus, I trust in you,
have mercy on us
and on the whole world."
(John Paul II, Regina Coeli Message, Easter Sunday, 25 March 2005)
ORA PRO NOBIS PECCATORIBUS!
"Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners..."
that we may learn true sorrow,
that we may have a change of heart,
that we may acquire generous desires of reparation,
"...pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen."